World football’s governing body, FIFA, has confirmed that the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar will take place on 18 December.
The possibility of shifting the tournament to an earlier date has long been debated amongst pundits and football supporters.
The general consensus has always been that it would be impractical to host the World Cup in the searing heat of the summer months, with temperatures often exceeding 40°C.And after months of speculation, FIFA’s executive committee has finally made a decision on an issue which has dragged on for quite some time.
Walter De Gregorio, FIFA’s director of communications, said:
“Yes, we are going to play in November and December. And yes, the final is going to be played on 18 December. It’s a Sunday and it’s also the national day of Qatar.”It is a major step because finally we know and we can move forward.
“In principle we will try to play in 28 days. The next stage will be to have talks… in particular related to the international match calendar.”